FALL & WINTER ' 16
A seasonal, practical guide to Fall and Winter tasks for sustainable growers
When this growing season comes to an end it’ s the time to keep the cycle going and prepare for the next one.
1. Tend to your compost:
Your compost bin should be supplying your growing areas with plenty of the dark organic material that is vital for healthy strong plants. By now, most of the contents of compost bins have been applied to nourish crops and improve the soil. Now it’ s time for renewal – which means more compost for the next season.
2. Remove annual plants that are spent and dying:
Inspect them and if they show signs of pests or disease, bag them up to dispose of in the trash. The healthy annuals and weeds can be put in the compost to return their nutrients back to the growing cycle. You can add different organic materials to keep the compost active and hot. Chicken droppings, composted cow or horse manure, and biochar, along with plenty of leaf mold, will keep it in balance. Keep the compost hydrated- it’ s vital to promote bioactivity. During dry periods, water thoroughly once a week until the first hard frost.
3. Keep your leaves:
Leaf mold is an excellent( and free!) mulch as well as an important ingredient for the compost bin. Place leaves in their own bin close to your compost. They’ ll transform into leaf mold in about a year.
4. Plan for next year:
Rotating crops is an important practice, especially if you grow heavy feeding plants like tomatoes and peppers. Establish a three-year rotation cycle to allow your soil to renew itself. Sew cover crops, like winter rye or cowpeas, in your vegetable beds to provide essential nitrogen as the stems and grasses decompose. Also add compost and lime as needed to your vegetable beds.
5. Order seeds:
Now’ s the time to start thinking about next year. While the past season is fresh in our minds we can begin to plan next year’ s design.
6. Save what you can:
Most annuals are sensitive to frost and will die after a hard one. Some, like celery, kale and other brassicas like cabbage and broccoli, are frost tolerant and can produce well into late fall with a little protection. You can cover some cold tolerant greens with plastic film, often extending the growing season considerably. If you have a sunny space inside, even if it’ s unheated, you can extend your growing season by bringing potted plants inside, tomatoes, peppers and many other food plants will continue to produce, given a little shelter. You can easily add a month or longer to your growing season.
7. Have your soil tested:
Have your soil tested for nutrient content and acidity( pH) and find out what your soil actually needs. Amend as needed using lime, and other natural soil amendments, available at many garden centers and feed shops.
8. Prune trees and vines:
Most fruit trees as well as grape vines should be pruned during dormancy, from late fall to very early spring. Cleanly cut off all damaged and diseased branches in the fall. As the weather gets colder, observe the growth patterns of your trees and vines, which can grow very quickly during the summer. If there is a cluster of growth, remove all but the strongest shoots, which in turn will create sturdy trunks and branches that will eventually bear fruit.
9. Plant garlic:
Do so when the ground is cold to the touch, but before frost sets in( Myong says October 20). Garlic bulbs need cold soil to produce plump clusters of cloves. Plant in rows and apply plenty of marsh hay or leaf mold on top to protect from winter damage.
16 GROW! BOSTON